Iran warns it could strike European cities if EU countries join war

Iran has put Europe on notice, warning that any move by European nations to join the mounting conflict after US and Israeli attacks inside Iran could make them targets as well.

On Tuesday, Tehran released a formal statement: military action from any European country would be viewed squarely as an act of war, one that might set off retaliatory strikes against major cities throughout Europe. Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, didn’t mince words. He made it clear that if Europeans line up with Washington or Tel Aviv, Tehran will see this as active partnership in aggression. “It would be an act of war.

Any such act against Iran would be regarded as complicity with the aggressors,” Baghaei emphasized at a press conference broadcast by Iranian state media. He brushed aside suggestions that Europe might simply take “defensive measures,” insisting that even efforts aimed at undermining Iran’s military strength count as outright hostility in his government’s eyes.

This isn’t just saber-rattling,it comes at a moment when several European governments are tightening security out of real anxiety that the fighting could spill beyond Middle Eastern borders. Just this week, on Monday,drones believed to have originated from Iran targeted Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus. According to officials, those drones likely launched from Lebanon and may have been operated by Hezbollah, which gets support from Tehran.

The strike itself caused only minor damage, but was enough for the UK to boost defensive systems around the base without hesitation.. Meanwhile word is Prime Minister Keir Starmer is weighing whether to send a British warship into the eastern Mediterranean, a direct response meant to bolster protection around these vital installations.

Other European countries aren’t standing still either; Greece has already deployed F-16 jets and naval frigates to Cyprus’ aid while France and Germany are promising further military backing and advanced defense systems. Amid all this maneuvering, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spelled things out: although NATO isn’t directly involved in what’s happening across the Middle East right now (his words during a trip to North Macedonia), he stressed there’d be zero hesitation about defending every last inch of NATO territory if push came to shove. Rutte didn’t stop there; he flagged Iran itself as posing wider risks,not just regionally, but for all of Europe, pointing specifically at concerns over its ballistic missile arsenal and ongoing nuclear ambitions (which remain hot-button issues).

In light of rising tensions, French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered ramped-up nuclear deterrence measures for France,and Paris is reportedly looking at spreading elements of its nuclear force more widely across Europe soon. French officials say several partners, including Germany, Britain and the Netherlands,have shown interest in hosting parts of this expanded deterrent system as worries over continental security hit new highs.

Written by Sandy van Dongen